Kasumi (Dead or Alive)
}} is a player character in Dead or Alive fighting game series by Team Ninja and Tecmo. Kasumi has served as the main character of the Dead or Alive franchise since its beginning in 1996, being the official protagonist in the first two main games in the series,Itagaki Speaks on Dead or Alive Ultimate, GameSpy, May 16, 2004 and playing very important roles in the rest of the franchise. She has since become a popular sex symbol in gaming and is known to be personal favourite of Team Ninja's founder and the series' creator Tomonobu Itagaki.Videogame Babe of the Day: Kasumi - Stars Feature at IGN, IGN, November 13, 2006 There are also two characters who are clones of her. According to the game canon, Kasumi (her name translates to "Mist"), also known as "the Kunoichi of Destiny", is a teenage female shinobi skilled in the style of ninjutsu. She was to become the 18th Master of the Mugen Tenshin ninja clan, but ran away in order to enter the Dead or Alive tournament and defeat Raidou who crippled her brother Hayate. Leaving the secretive ninja clan made her a nukenin (runaway shinobi), obliged to live on the run from her former comrades who are now seeking to hunt her down, including her younger half-sister Ayane. In video games Kasumi is portrayed throughout the DOA series as a more compassionate character than Ayane and most of the other fighters. Though she is a highly skilled kunoichi with deadly abilities but she does not enjoy fighting and often expresses a desire to avoid confrontation. She values her family and seeks to return home in peace. In all of the tournaments except the first her goal is not to win or even to fight; she simply wishes to meet Hayate. Kasumi dislikes seeing people suffer from at the hands of her skills and often shows mercy even to enemies. However, she is a trained shinobi who is capable of killing, though, and she foregoes showing mercy to particularly dangerous adversaries or those who have wronged her or her family: Raidou (first game), her clone (second game) and Helena (fourth game). Design Just like the other girls in the franchise, Kasumi was designed by Tomonobu Itagaki to have a buxom figure (her official measurements are 35-21-33). When asked if he was fine with "sexualizing" a 17-year-old girl, he answered: "In Japan, that's okay. Maybe it's 20 in America."QuickJump QuickList: top ten Tomonobu Itagaki lines, QJ.net, Nov 12, 2007 Asked about Ayane and Kasumi, Itagaki said: "The basic concept of Ninja Gaiden was very hard-edged, but Kasumi is very soft. That's why she wasn't in it. DOA is based on a "softer" concept, and she is rather symbolic of the game as a whole."Itagaki: The Kikizo Interview 2005, Video Games Daily, February 15, 2005 Kasumi is "of course" Itagaki's favorite DOA characterTomonobu Itagaki Interview: Dead or Alive Ultimate, Digital Entertainment News, Jun 23rd, 2004 and he feels "very close to her". Kasumi uses a wide range of costumes through the series, from several female ninja outfits (her main colors being white and red at first, later becoming blue and white) to feminine teenage-girl casual clothes to Japanese schoolgirl uniformDead or Alive 2 Schoolgirl Outfits Revealed, IGN, March 8, 2000 (Itagaki's favoriteItagaki Speaks!, 1UP.com, 2005) to beach bikinis.Dead or Alive Kasumi Costumes - Dead or Alive World According to IGN, she had the best overall outfits of Dead or Alive Ultimate, the expanded compilation of the first two DOA games ("she looks great and her outfits are fantastic").Girls of DOAU: Kasumi | The buxom ninja is set to take on all combatants with deadly speed., IGN, September 27, 2004 Some prototype costume designs for the series' newest installment, Dead or Alive: Dimensions, reportedly "upset fans" when the game was announced in 2010.Ayane & Kasumi's new costumes in Dead or Alive Dimensions, Destructoid, 09.27.2010 Dead or Alive series Kasumi is the respected miss and heiress-in-line of her clan, the Mugen Tenshin, along with her brother Hayate. After Hayate was crippled in the attack by their treacherous uncle Raidou, Kasumi was supposed to take over leadership of the clan. Kasumi, however, left her village without permission on a personal quest of revenge. Kasumi eventually killed Raidou and avenged Hayate, winning the first tournament. However, she was then captured by Dead or Alive Tournament Executive Committee (DOATEC), who used her genes to create a clone called Kasumi Alpha as part of a project to develop a new breed of ultimate soldiers. Kasumi managed to escape, defeating her first clone in the process, and attempted to return to her village, but was banished because a dishonored ninja could not rejoin their clan. Now labeled as a "traitor" in her village, Kasumi has been pursued incessantly by assassins from her clan and not a day passed without an attempt on her life. Despite this, she still wished to see her brother Hayate and half-sister Ayane and entered the third tournament to meet with them one last time. She eventually managed to meet her brother and tried to convince him to forget about DOATEC and return to the Mugen Tenshin village with her, only to be interfered by their half-sister Ayane, who attacked Kasumi but lost. Kasumi pursued Hayate to the DOATEC Tri-Tower, where she confronted Helena, who had taken control of DOATEC. Kasumi fought her way past Helena and then headed down to the lab to destroy her ultimate clone, the Alpha-152. Kasumi fought to her best efforts, but in the end Alpha-152 escaped in the chaos of the destruction wrought by the Mugen Tenshin attack. Upon spotting Helena entering the blazing helipad, Kasumi tried to risk her life and intervene, but was prevented from doing so by Ayane, who by doing that saved Kasumi's life as the building started exploding seconds later. Kasumi was confirmed to return in Dead or Alive 5 in 2012.Ben Gilbert, Dead or Alive 5 in development, heading to PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2012, Joystiq, Sep 14th 2011 (featured on the promotional picture) Kasumi clones ]] According to the series' storyline, DOATEC created many clones of Kasumi as part of their Project Alpha with the aim of creating a perfect fighter. * was the first clone of Kasumi to debut in the games, looking just like Kasumi wearing a crimson ninja suit. Kasumi Alpha served as a boss character in ''Dead or Alive 2 and returning for Ultimate; she was defeated by Kasumi during her escape. * is the clone who seems to be made up of pure energy; born with an untainted hate of the world and created to destroy all. She was originally designed as Kasumi's figure made of light, however in the final game she was changed into a translucent/liquid-like form of Kasumi. The final CGI ending of Dead or Alive 4 shows Alpha-152 fleeing the DOATEC's Tri-Tower after a brief fight with Kasumi; the clone's whereabouts and condition remain unknown. Alpha-152 is commonly regarded to be the most difficult boss in the entire DOA series, similar to those of the "SNK Boss Syndrome". DOAX series Following the third Dead or Alive tournament, Kasumi has been invited to Zack Island, an imaginary place that has all the DOA girls for the fourth tournament. Kasumi, hoping to see Hayate, goes to the island for the tournament. However, the tournament turns out to be a hoax crafted by Zack, and they are stuck for two weeks on the tropical island, playing beach volleyball in Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball. Kasumi later returned to the New Zack Island in Dead or Alive Xtreme 2 upon hearing that her brother was there, even though she wondered what he was doing on a tropical island. It was there that Kasumi began to develop a more friendly relationship with Ayane. Other games Kasumi also appears in Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2, starring Ayane and Ryu Hayabusa, wearing a new outfit, and it's possible she might become a player character via DLC. Dead or Alive: Code Chronos, a DOA series' prequel game which was supposed to center on Kasumi and Ayane, was canceled in 2010, after the series' creator Itagaki left Tecmo (Code Chronos has been his "pet project"). Guest appearances Kasumi appeared as an optionally playable "monster" in the games Monster Rancher 2 and Monster Rancher 4.Kasumi - Monster Rancher Her blue ninja outfit is an unlockable costume in Super Swing GolfKasumi from Dead or Alive plays golf, Siliconera, June 12, 2006 and Super Swing Golf: Season 2 for the character Arin,Super Swing Golf Season 2 Cheats, Codes, and Secrets for Wii, GameFAQs and is an alternative costume of Mio Amakura in Director's Cut version of Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly.Fatal Frame II XBOX – Kasumi & Ayane DOA costumes She also appears in the iPhone game Girls of DOA BlackJack ～ the Kasumi version ～,DOA BlackJack -- Kasumi Version, GameSpy, 2009 in which she acts as the blackjack dealer.Tecmo Deals iPhone DoA Kasumi Blackjack, Kotaku, Jun 12, 2009 Gameplay Similar to the other Dead or Alive ninjutsu characters, Kasumi is considered a mid-to-top tier character due to her balanced character traits. She features good speed, execution, and fairly simplistic input commands, but her range is lacking and her single strikes do little damage. Kasumi's playing style has differed slightly over the series: in the original Dead or Alive and its sequel, her commands were suited to performing air combos and juggles. In the later games, however, she became a pressure character, focusing more on extremely fast attacks and great interrupters to keep the opponent constantly on the defense. In film as Kasumi in the film. In 2011, ''Complex'' ranked her role as 10th on the list of "hottest women in video game movies", but with likeness factor of only 52%Peter Rubin, The 15 Hottest Women In Video Game Movies, Complex, February 16, 2011.]] Kasumi appeared in the 2006 action-comedy film DOA: Dead or Alive, loosely based on the game series, as its main character. She was played by Devon Aoki, who however bears no physical similarity to the character she portrayed and many felt that she appeared to be miscast in this role. This sentiment which was shared also by Itagaki; when asked about whom he would choose for the film, he said it would be Kumiko Gotoh "from the time right after she made her debut".E3 2006: Tomonobu Itagaki Interview, IGN, May 8, 2006 In an interview with Rotten Tomatoes, Aoki said this about Kasumi: "Yes, she's pretty badass. ... and she's a princess. She's never been outside the palace walls. She's been very, very sheltered, because she's a princess and that's the way it is…until the point where she actually decides to leave, she's basically been pretty sheltered but she's a capable fighter."Set Visit: Devon Aoki Dishes "DOA," Learning Japanese, and Buff RTers, Rotten Tomatoes, Jun. 07 2006 The scene of her leaving the clan was named the movie's "most ridiculous" scene by GamesRadar and was ranked #16 on their list of "The 16 most awesomely bad videogame movie moments" in 2009.Mikel Reparaz, The 16 most awesomely bad videogame movie moments, GamesRadar, April 29, 2009 "Transitioning from martial art fight scene to skydiving without blinking" was also chosen as her defining moment by UGO.com, with a snicker comment how Aoki's portrayal of Kasumi is "keeping conservative in a world full of boob".Devon Aoki in DOA: Dead or Alive - UGO.com In the movie, Kasumi fights against Leon and wins. The film Kiss of the Dragon is referenced when she pierces an acupuncture needle into the villain Victor Donovan, who then suffers paralysis and perishes in an explosion. In the end, she did go home with her brother despite being a runaway shinobi, but has to make a fighting stand against her clan with her new friends in order to get to stay. In promotion and merchandise A wide range of merchandise items featuring Kasumi was created as well, such as statuettes and action figures of various scales,Catch These Dead or Alive Figures!, Kotaku, Sep 4, 2008Video Game Toys by Kotobukiya - UGO.com including one which was bundled with a special edition of Dead or Alive Paradise for the PSP (a different edition also came with an original Kasumi box cover)Dead or Alive PSP Game Bundled With Sexy Kasumi Statue, Kotaku, Dec 18, 2009 another which could be stripped topless,Kasumi Toy Stripped Topless, Kotaku, Feb 1, 2008 and another to her underwear;Kasumi doll does battle in her underwear | PVC figure brings Dead or Alive's assets to life, GamesRadar, June 3, 2010 a Xbox 360 face plate,The Ultimate Face Plate: Kasumi gives you a good reason to buy a second memory card., IGN, October 18, 2006 a very special mousepad,Play with Kasumi's Breasts for $25, Kotaku, Feb 15, 2005 and even a live-size 160 cm long (Kasumi's height is supposed to be 158 cm) body pillow which was bundled by Microsoft with the "Kasumi-chan Blue Xbox" limited edition batch of the Xbox consoles in Japan.Kasumi pillow - Show me the merchandise - Pictures - Games - Virgin MediaGetting in Bed With the Customer, Wired, 02.06.04Lifesize Kasumi Pillow to be Included in DOA Ultimate Xbox Bundle, GamePro, February 03, 2004 She and Hitomi were also used in the iPhone digital clock application Bijin Tokei.Bijin Tokei - Dead or Alive World In 2010, the gamebook Destiny Kunoichi Kasumi was released in the Queen's Gate series of Queen's Blade,運命のくノ一 かすみ - クイーンズゲイト公式ホームページ along with another figure.Neko Magic: Anime & Figures: Queen’s Gate the Destiny Kunoichi Kasumi 1/8 PVC figure by Hobby Japan Reception Kasumi was received well among the gaming fans and professional critics for both her sex appeal and her martial arts abilities, and sometimes also her personality. Talking about her popularity in Japan, Itagaki claimed in 2004: "It's almost like there are too many Kasumi covers. If you look at Japanese game magazines, maybe 10% of them have Kasumi on their cover."Team Ninja Interview: Tomonobu Itagaki, Video Games Daily, May 27, 2004 WomanGamers.Com appreciated her portrayal "as a woman of action and deeds ... willing to risk everything in order to search for her missing brother", hurt by her eye candy aspect "for which the series is both famous and infamous", overally rating her 8.14/10 as "a very pleasing character".Digital Women - Kasumi of Dead or Alive, WomenGamers.Com, Oct. 19, 2000 The Age ranked her as 36th among The Top 50 Xbox Characters of All Time in 2008, commenting: "Kasumi's appeal is no great mystery, is it? As the merciful ninja who avoids confrontation but finds herself again and again having to defeat challengers, she's just another heroine based on a well-loved archetype."Gameplayer Staff, The Top 50 Xbox Characters of All Time, The Age, September 30, 2008 In 2004, TeamXbox ranked Kasumi third in the list of Top Ten Xbox Babes, adding: "When we imagine our ideal Tecmo babe, Kasumi fits the bill perfectly. She has fought her way into the hearts and minds of millions of gamers."TeamXbox Staff, Top Ten Xbox Babes, TeamXbox, June 30th, 2004 Featuring her as a Videogame Babe of the Day in 2006, IGN noted: "This sultry redhead is also a fan favorite, and it's not difficult to see why. In addition to being gifted as a fighter, she's been graced with one of the finest digital bodies ever. Also, she is a freaking ninja." In the 2005 G4 TV show Video Game Vixens Kasumi won in the category "Dressed to Kill",Video Game Vixens: Dressed to Kill, Sexiest Finish, and Viewers' Choice Best Booty Episode Summary - TV.com and in 2007 she won the G-Phoria award in the category "Best Hottest Babe" (55% of the votes).G-Phoria Results are IN! - G4tv.com Ranking her tenth in the 2006's list of Top 11 Video Game Hotties, UGO called her "the most attractive ninja you'll ever see".UGO.com Film/TV - Top 11 Video Game Heroine Hotties In 2007, Kasumi was included by Tom's Games among the 50 greatest female characters in video game history, as well as "and one of the most powerful - and sexy - ninjas in the world".Rob Wright, The 50 Greatest Female Characters in Video Game History, Tom's Games, 2007-02-20 In 2010, UGO featured her for having one of the 30 best swimsuits in all works of fictionLabor Day FTW: The Best Swimsuits Ever, UGO.com, September 5, 2010 and listed her among the Top 50 Videogame Hotties, commenting: "Kasumi is the flagship protagonist of the Dead or Alive series of games, and it's for good reason. Her huge breasts, flowing hair, and butt-bumpin' volleyball skills represent at least half of what the series is all about. It only helps that she's equally deadly when the fighting portion comes around."Top 50 Videogame Hotties, UGO.com, May 8, 2010 In 2011, UGO also ranked her ninth among the Fighting Games' Finest Female Fighters.Aubrey Sitterson, Fighting Games' Finest Female Fighters, UGO.com, January 14, 2011 Same year, machinima.com also ranked her third on the list of Top 10 Ninjas in ALL of Gaming.Machinima, Top 10 Ninjas in ALL of Gaming!, YouTube, Feb 12, 2011 In 2007, she was featured as the Babe of the Week by GameDaily as one of the series' "most delectable hotties",Babe of the Week: Kasumi, GameDaily, December 07, 2007 and in the Babes of the Week articles Babes We're Thankful For in 2008 ("this voluptuous vixen has a killer body and the moves to match")Chris Buffa, Babe of the Week: Babes We're Thankful For, GameDaily, November 26, 2008 and Asian Beauties in 2009 ("there's no way we could ignore Kasumi"),Robert Workman, Babe of the Week: Asian Beauties, GameDaily, February 06, 2009 as well as in 2009's article Gaming's Greatest Patriots in the category Team Japan with a comment that "it's hard to imagine a video game world without the lovely Kasumi".Gaming's Greatest Patriots: Team Japan, GameDaily, May 19, 2009 GameDaily also ranked her eight on the 2008's list of Top 50 Hottest Game Babes, adding: "We love female ninjas, especially ones with gigantic breasts, flowing hair and a knack for beach volleyball. Kasumi remains the most recognizable Dead or Alive girl, and ... one of the most dangerous."Chris Buffa, Top 25 Hottest Game Babes, GameDaily, March 21, 2008 Legal case When hackers found a way to turn Kasumi nude in DOA2, Itagaki felt this "was an attack on her" and Tecmo's lawyers actually sued the authors of the naked Kasumi DOA2 hack (software company West Side) for a violation of Kasumi's dignity, winning the case and two million yen in damages.Tecmo wins naked Kasumi court case, Eurogamer, 1 October 2004 See also *Ayane References External links * Kasumi – The Dead or Alive Wiki * Kasumi Alpha – The Dead or Alive Wiki * IGN: Kasumi (Dead or Alive) * Kasumi at Giant Bomb * Kasumi at the Internet Movie Database Category:Clone characters in video games Category:Characters created by Tomonobu Itagaki Category:Dead or Alive (series) characters Category:Female characters in video games Category:Fictional female ninja Category:Fictional Japanese people in video games Category:Ninja characters in video games Category:Fictional super soldiers Category:Fictional swordsmen Category:Genetically engineered characters in video games Category:Ninja Gaiden characters Category:Princess characters in video games Category:Video game bosses Category:Video game characters in film Category:Video game characters introduced in 1996 Category:Video game characters who can teleport Category:Video game mascots Category:Video game protagonists Category:Woman soldier and warrior characters in video games Category:Female video game characters Category:Fictional sword fighters Category:Dead or Alive characters